Prof. Erich Kisi

Biography

I completed a Bachelor of Metallurgy (Hons 1) from the University of Newcastle in 1984 in conjunction with six years in industry as a trainee Metallurgist. I then completed a PhD in Metallurgy under an AINSE studentship which saw me spend 3 months each year conducting experiments at the HIFAR nuclear reactor at ANSTO in Sydney. I went on to take up a National Research Fellowship also based at ANSTO (1988-90) studying phase transitions and synthesis methods in zirconia ceramics. There followed a senior research fellowship at Griffith University in Queensland (1990-93) working on metals for hydrogen storage which has recently become very topical. In mid 1993 I returned to Newcastle to take up a position as a lecturer, senior lecturer (1997), Associate Professor (2001) and Professor (2007 - ).

I have researach experience ranging from process and physical Metallurgy (BHP Newcastle and Dept Metallurgy U of Ncle) through metal hydrides and intermetallic compounds to advanced ceramics (Zirconia, piezoelectrics and MAX phases). I have used such diverse research tools as thermal analysis, electron microscopy and diffraction, and scanning tunneling and atomic force microscopy. My particular expertise is in the application of in-situ neutron and X-ray diffraction experiments to study materials during simulated service or during their synthesis. This has included metals and advanced ceramics under large stresses, extremes of temperature (4-2600K), in hydrogen atmospheres or electric field. My work has received over 1300 citations, has H-index 21 and is cited an average of more than 16 times per paper in the international journal literature including self-citations (ISI Web of Science) .

I am a former Assistant Dean of Postgraduate Studies in the Faculty of Engineering and have served on the Universitys Research Higher Degrees Committee. I am currently the Student Academic Conduct Officer for the School of Engineering. In addition, I have contributed to policy development, management and review of the Universitys central research facilities (Electron Microscope Centre and X-ray Centre) for more than 10 years. My professional memberships include the Institute of Physics (London), Australian Institute of Physics, Society of Crystallography in Australia.

Prof. Kisi leads a research team currently comprising 1 technical officer, 1 postdoctoral fellow, 2 postgraduate students and on average 5 honours students. The group has an average research budget of $400,000 as well as a very high success rate in gaining peer reviewed access to major international neutron scattering facilities (ILL France, ISIS UK and OPAL Australia).

Qualifications

• PhD, University of Newcastle, 1988
• Bachelor of Metallurgy (Honours), University of Newcastle, 1985

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Research

Research keywords

• Ceramic Materials
• Crystallography
• Metallic Materials
• Neutron Diffraction
• X-ray Diffraction

Research expertise

My primary research field is the link between the crystal structures of materials and their physical, mechanical and electrical properties. I use advanced neutron and X-ray diffraction techniques to probe the details of crystal structure and microstructure in existing and emerging engineering materials. Experiments are conducted at the world's leading neutron sources (ILL in France and ISIS in the UK) as well as the national neutron source OPAL being commissioned at ANSTO in Sydney.

My particular thrust has been to study materials in the state in which they are used in engineering practice. This includes studying highly strained and multi-phase materials in environments that either simulate real service conditions or during their actual synthesis from raw materials. This has included working at temperatures in the range -269 to 2400 Celsius, pressures up to 2.3 GPa, electric field up to 100 kV/cm and a range of high pressure gasses. These in-situ experiments give unprecedented insight into the workings of Engineering materials as well as their formation and inter-conversion. For example, my group and I have conducted the only neutron diffraction experiments in the world on combustion synthesis - the rapid conversion of raw materials into engineering materials using the chemical reaction energy as the primary heat source. These experiments on the most rapidly reacting system ever studied with neutron diffraction, have revealed a complex reaction mechanism not observable in any other way.

The work has led to more than 75 refereed journal papers, several plenary lectures and over 40 contributed conference papers and presentations. My work has received over 1100 citations (H-index 18) in the international journal literature. A Materials Science background combined with extensive experience of advanced neutron diffraction techniques, has allowed me to make a contribution to knowledge in several classes of material. I have primarily worked in the following fields:

i) Zirconia ceramics (1 edited book, 16 journal and 5 refereed conference papers)

ii) Metal hydrides (18 journal and 1 refereed conference paper)

iii) Neutron diffraction studies of materials (1 co-authored book due early 2007, 1 review paper, 59 journal papers including those above & below, and 7 refereed conference papers)

iv) Ferroelectric and piezoelectric ceramics (9 journal papers)

v) MAX phases (e.g. Ti3SiC2) synthesis (16 journal papers, 2 refereed conference papers, 5 invited and plenary lectures)

Collaboration

I have conducted neutron and X-ray diffraction studies of advanced materials for many years leading to an authored book, an edited book, more than 80 refereed journal papers, 10 plenary and invited lectures and over 50 contributed conference papers and presentations. My emphasis has been neutron and X-ray diffraction studies of the crystal structure and microstructure of real engineering materials in realistic environments. I have considerable expertise with in situ diffraction using samples at high and low temperatures, during the application of uniaxial stress, in moderate pressures of reactive gasses (eg H2), during solid state and combustion reactions, and under applied electric field. This has allowed the discovery and study of several transient phenomena. Examples include reversible phase transformations in Mg-PSZ, ferroelasticity in Y-TZP, PZT and BaTiO3, the gamma phase in LaNi5-H systems, and intermediate phases in the synthesis of Ti3SiC2. The work has required the development of new techniques such as determining single crystal elastic constants from experiments on polycrystalline samples, determining dislocation induced peak broadening in Rietveld analyses and diffraction-based thermal analysis.

A Materials Science background combined with advanced diffraction techniques, has allowed me to make a contribution to knowledge in several classes of material. I am known in the fields of:

i) Zirconia ceramics (1 edited book, 16 journal and 5 refereed conference papers)

ii) Metal hydrides (18 journal and 1 refereed conference paper)

iii) Neutron diffraction studies of materials (1 co-authored book, 1 review paper, 65 journal papers including those

above & below, 7 refereed and >50 other conference papers)

iv) Ferroelectric and piezoelectric ceramics (13 journal papers)

v) MAX phases (e.g. Ti3SiC2) and their synthesis (18 journal papers, 2 refereed conference papers, 7 invited and

plenary lectures)

I lead a team studying piezoelectric oxide synthesis, MAX phase synthesis and MAX phase crystal structure, and th eformation of templated functional microcavities in alumina ceramics.

Fields of Research

Code	Description	Percentage
091299	Materials Engineering Not Elsewhere Classified	65
091099	Manufacturing Engineering Not Elsewhere Classified	25
100799	Nanotechnology Not Elsewhere Classified	10

Memberships

Committee/Associations (relevant to research).

• Member - Institute of Physics, London
• Member - Australian Institute of Physics
• Member - Instrument Advisory Teams (3), new OPAL research reactor, ANSTO

Invitations

AsCA 03/Crystal 23 - Combined meeting of the Asian Crystallographic Association and the Society of Crystallographers in Australia and New Zealand, Broome WA, August 2003 Asian Crystallographic Association and the Society of Crystallographers in Australia and New Zealand, Australia (Conference Presentation - non published.)	2003
XIX International Union of Crystallography Congress and General Assembly, Geneva, August 2002 International Union of Crystallography , Switzerland (Invited Lecture)	2002
IUCr Satellite Meeting Crystal chemistry of New Materials and Soft Matter, Grenoble France, August 2002 International Union of Crystallography, France (Conference Presentation - non published.)	2002
International Conference on Neutron Scattering, Sydney 27 Nov 2 Dec 2005 ANSTO, Australia (Invited Lecture)	2005
Australian X-ray Analytical Association/West Australian Society of Electron Microscopists Annual Conference, Rottnest Island, 16-19 September, 2004 Australian X-ray Analytical Association/West Australian Society of Electron Microscopists, Australia (Conference Presentation - non published.)	2007

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Administrative

Administrative expertise

I am the Student Academic Conduct Officer for the School of Engineering. In addition, I have served as Assistant Dean - Postgraduate Studies (1998-2001) as well as being a member of the Research Higher Degrees Committee during the same period. I also serve on Committees advising the DVC - Research on the university's Research Support Units. I am a former council member and Treasurer of the Australian Neutron Beam Users Group (ANBUG).

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Teaching

Teaching keywords

• Materials Engineering
• Materials Science
• Research Project Management

Teaching expertise

Courses that I have taught include Materials Selection, Physical Metallurgy, Research Topics in Physics, Fabrication of Metals, Design III, Materials Science and Engineering 1, Materials Science and Engineering 2, Final Year Project. As such, I have experience in teaching across a wide spectrum of Materials Science and Materials Engineering at a range of levels as well as considerable experience in the teaching of skills related to the conduct of a major project. I also have considerable experience in research training having supervised numerous PhD's to completion and have had many Research Fellows in my care.